


Hideki and Koji

by Raikana



Series: Omegaverse Moonlight Boys [1]
Category: No Fandom, Original Work
Genre: ABO, AU, Age Difference, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, M/M, Mpreg, Omegaverse, Original Characters - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-29
Updated: 2019-07-24
Packaged: 2020-05-30 18:03:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19408519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raikana/pseuds/Raikana
Summary: Hideki Shimizu gets a new client to clean for, but will things stay professional between them?





	1. Chapter 1 - Hideki

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kikiki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kikiki/gifts).



Hideki groaned and stretched, listening to his spine popping and cracking as he worked the tension out of his muscles. He looked around the clean house, double-checking his work before he finally packed his cleaning supplies away.

His phone jingled in his pocket and he pulled it out as he left his client’s house, flipping it open to see his boss’ number on the small screen. He tapped the answer button and pressed the phone to his ear.

“Hello, sir. Shimizu speaking.” Hideki trapped his old flip phone between his ear and shoulder, grabbing his cleaning supplies with both hands and carrying them to his car.

“Shimizu-kun, you have a new assignment.” His boss sounded as gruff as ever, though Hideki still wasn’t sure if it was natural, affected, or caused by the man’s pack-a-day habit.

“Yes, sir. I was just on my way to lunch, but I’ll head over right after.” Hideki set his cleaning caddy down and fished out his keys to unlock his trunk.

“No, you’re going over there now. This is a high-profile client and he wants his house cleaned.” Hideki arranged his supplies neatly in the trunk and shut it with a bang. He climbed into the driver’s seat, staring at his homemade bento, his stomach growling.

“Yes, sir.” Hideki picked up his lunch and tossed it into the back seat for later, maybe for dinner. “If you could just send me the address, I’ll head over right now.” If this new client was as desperate as he sounded, Hideki didn’t have much hope of finishing his rounds early, or even on time.

“I’m sending the address right now. I want you to do your best work. We don’t want to lose this client.”

“Understood, sir. I’ll make sure everything sparkles.” Hideki started up his car and reached out to boot up the dash-mounted GPS.

“See that you do. I’ll be in touch.” The call ended when Hideki’s boss hung up, but his phone dinged again a moment later. He pulled up his boss’ message and typed the address into his GPS before he put the car in gear and pulled out into traffic

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Hideki pulled up to a stand-alone house in the suburbs, nothing like the rich neighborhood he had been expecting when his boss called. He spotted an older man standing by the gate as he climbed out of his car to grab his supplies.

Hideki walked up to the gate with his hands full, dipping his head in a partial bow. “Hello, sir. Are you the owner?”

The older man shook his head, pulling a small keyring out of his pocket. “No, I’m just another of Fukui-sama’s employees.” The man unlocked the gate, holding it open for Hideki before heading for the front door. “Fukui-sama will be arriving this evening and he wants the house to be ready when he arrives.”

“Of course, sir. I’ll do my best. Are there any special instructions?” Hideki followed the man to the front door, waiting as he unlocked it.

“Fukui-sama did not leave any instructions. He simply said that he has not been to this residence in some time and would like it habitable by the time he arrives.” The man bowed as Hideki entered the house. “I will be in my car. Please let me know when you are finished.”

“Yes, sir,” Hideki said as the door shut behind him. He set his things down and toes off his shoes, stepping into a pair of house slippers before looking around the house.

The furniture in the living room was covered in dust cloths, but the rest of the room looked clean aside from some dust on the uncovered surfaces. The dining chairs were resting upside-down on the dining table in this kitchen. The kitchen had some dusty spots in the corners, but otherwise looked clean.

He poked his nose into the bathroom downstairs, taking note of the empty soaking tub and dull tiles. Nothing a bit of tile cleaner wouldn’t fix. He closed the bathroom door and went up the stairs to the second floor. Three bedrooms, all of them with bare mattresses and some light dust, and another full bathroom upstairs that had a western-style tub and shower combo, if a small one because of the tight space.

Hideki found the bed linens in one of the spare bedrooms and set to work. He dusted, made the beds, scrubbed the tiles. He finished sooner than he thought he would and packed his supplies in the trunk of his car before knocking on the older man’s car window. The tinted window rolled down and the man looked up at Hideki. “All finished?”

Hideki dropped into a deep bow now that his hands weren’t full. “Yes, sir. I just finished.”

“Thank you. I’ll let Fukui-sama know. What is your name?”

Hideki straightened and pulled out his business card, offering it up with another bow. “Hideki Shimizu, sir. It was my pleasure.”

“I’ll make sure to pass your name on to Fukui-sama.”

“I look forward to working for Fukui-sama again in the future.” Hideki straightened as the man rolled up the window, heading back to his own car for a quick lunch before his next appointment.

* * *

Hideki pulled into his building’s parking lot after work. All told, he was only thirty minutes late. Yanda-san was a lovely old lady, but always very particular about how her house was cleaned. She couldn’t handle the cleaning herself anymore, but she had no problem following Hideki from room to room to make sure he did things properly, even though he hadn’t slipped up once in the year he’d been cleaning for her.

Hideki sighed and climbed out of his car, his back and knees sore after a full day of hard work. But he still had more to do before he could rest. He walked into the apartment building, his body already relaxing as the scent of omega pheromones washed over him, the smell of safety and community. He waved and nodded to his fellow omegas as he made his way to the nursery.

The nursery wasn’t anything official, just another one of the apartments, one that belonged to Kenji Soma, one of the owner’s twin sons. Hideki knocked on Kenji’s door and reached up to pull his hair out of its bun, leaving his ponytail to swing free behind him, easing some of the pressure at his temples.

Kenji opened the door with a smile, a baby propped up on his hip and a couple of the shier children attempting to hide behind his legs. “Hideki-kun! Aki-chan has been worried about you, you know...”

Hideki let out a soft laugh as Kenji stepped out of the way, ushering the children back into his toy-strewn living room. Hideki caught sight of Akio’s mop of dark blonde curls, his son bent over with two dolls in his hands, acting out some dramatic moment.

Hideki stood quietly for a minute, just watching Akio with a smile. Akio finished whatever scene he had been acting out and looked up. Hideki’s smile grew wider the moment Akio spotted him, his little face lighting up. Hideki dropped into a crouch as Akio dropped his dolls, running into Hideki’s arms. “Mama!”

Hideki stood up, resting Akio on his hip, pressing a gentle kiss to Akio’s forehead. “I’m sorry, Aki-chan. Mama had to work late again. Are you hungry?”

Akio nodded, clutching Hideki’s shirt in both little fists. “Hungwy.”

“Then let’s get home and mama will make you dinner, okay?” Hideki looked to the door to find Kenji standing there with Akio’s bag. “Thanks, Kenji-kun. I should be done on time tomorrow. I had some last minute schedule changes.”

Kenji returned Hideki’s smile, his cheeks growing pink. “It’s no problem, really. Aki-chan is such a good boy. I don’t mind having him here a little longer.”

Hideki took the bag from Kenji, slipping it up to rest on his shoulder. “Still. I shouldn’t impose on you like this.” Hideki gave Kenji a bow and looked down at Akio. “Say bye to Kenji-san.”

Akio let go of Hideki with one hand, waving to Kenji. “Bai-bai, Kenyi!”

“Goodbye, Aki-chan! See you tomorrow, okay?”

“Mm!” Akio nodded vigorously before clinging to Hideki again.

“Goodnight, Kenji-kun. Thanks for everything.” Hideki shifted Akio up to sit more securely on his hip before leaving Kenji’s apartment. “Did you have a good day today, Aki-chan?”

“Yeah!” Akio nodded, beaming up at Hideki as he began regaling his mother with disjointed stories about the other children in the nursery. Hideki carried Akio to their apartment on a different floor, the other omegas on the elevator giving them gentle smiles. Hideki set Akio down do he could open the door, but Akio barely paused for air before jumping back into his story, chattering away as he toddled into the apartment.

Hideki followed Akio inside, dropping his bag on the table before heading into the kitchen to start dinner. A pot of rice, of course, some canned vegetables, but did he have any meat left? He checked the fridge and found a couple franks sitting on the shelf in a baggy. Better than nothing, but definitely time for a trip to the store.

Akio fell silent and Hideki looked up from washing the rice, just in time to see his two-year-old walk into the kitchen, holding a Princess Toffee doll in his arms. “Sorry, Aki-chan. I’m working on dinner, but it’ll still be a while before we can eat.”

Akio set his doll on the table and scrambled his way up the side of a chair to sit on it, his deep blue eyes barely peeking out above the table. “Mama play?”

“Sorry, Aki-chan, but mama can’t play right now. I’m making dinner. Why don’t you play for me?” Hideki turned back to the food, but he still heard Akio sigh behind him.

“Okay...” The disappointment in Akio’s voice made Hideki’s heart slowly sink into the ground. He certainly wanted to spend all day baby Akio, but if he didn’t go to work, he’d never be able to afford food for the both of them, or the diapers he needed while he got Akio toilet trained. Speaking of...

“Aki-chan, do you have to use the potty?”

“Yeah.” Akio didn’t even look up from his doll, spinning her arms and legs to try out different poses.

“Then go potty. Princess Toffee will still be here when you get back.” Hideki glanced over his shoulder to see Akio climb off the chair, heading for their small bathroom. “And remember to wash your hands this time!”

“Okay!” Akio called from the bathroom, not bothering to close the door, as evidenced by the tinkling noises that filled the apartment. Hideki sighed and shook his head with a smile, turning on the rice pot and turning on the stove to fry up the franks.

* * *

After dinner and a shared bath, Hideki sat on the floor of the living room with Akio, brushing his hair while Akio played with his dolls. Akio turned and looked at Hideki with his big, blue eyes. “Mama?”

“Yes, baby?” Hideki pulled his damp hair over his shoulder, running his fingers through it to check for tangles.

“Mama play t’morrow?”

“We’ll have to see, Aki-chan. Mama has a lot of work to do.” Hideki set his hairbrush down and reached for one of the dolls. “But maybe after dinner we can play.”

Akio let out a big yawn and crawled over to Hideki, curling up in his lap. “Nooo... Tha’s late. Mama play now.”

Hideki set the dolls to the side and bent to kiss Akio’s curls. “How about if mama reads you a bedtime story instead?”

“Mkay...” Akio said through another huge yawn. Hideki scooped Akio into his arms, standing up to take Akio to bed.


	2. Chapter 2 - Koji

Koji drove up to his house and parked his car in the driveway, killing the engine before looking through the windshield at the modest building. He could still hear Rina’s voice from all those years ago, pestering him to buy a bigger house, something in a richer neighborhood, something worthy of his status, she’d said. He was sure that she just wanted a bunch of rich neighbors to impress like she had back home.

Koji reached up to scrub at his face, dragging his mind out of the black hole of memories. Now that the divorce was underway, they were both forced to leave the Fukui Estate so that the house could be sold off. He would get half of the money and Rina would get the other half, but this house was his, free and clear, so he was going to live here for the time being.

Koji climbed out of his car, going to pull his suitcase out of his trunk. The last time he had spent any significant amount of time here had been before Ryo was born. Before he was conceived, even. He let himself into the house with a smile and left his suitcase in the living room to go check the fridge.

Empty. Oh well, it was too much to hope that there would be food in the house as well. He closed the fridge and checked all the cupboards, just in case, before pulling out his smartphone to look for a local restaurant to make a delivery.

* * *

Once he had finished a late supper, Koji settled in the living room with his laptop and a glass of scotch from his liquor cabinet, ready to catch up on some work emails after such a long drive. First, though, he pulled out his phone and called Ryo.

The phone only rang once before it hung up. Moments later, just as Koji opened his laptop, his phone dinged on the end table. He picked it up to check and saw a message from Ryo.

_ Leave us alone _ .

Koji set the phone back down with a sigh, getting to work. He wished he could go back in time and try to find a better way to handle the new about his son’s—Ryo’s—pregnancy, but things were what they were. His wife found out about his affair and chased off his lover. His only child wanted nothing to do with him. And now he was in the middle of a bitter and messy divorce, alone in his second house, eating takeout for dinner.

He set his laptop on the couch cushion beside him and drained the scotch in his tumbler before getting up to grab the rest of the bottle.

* * *

Koji woke up the next morning with a pounding head and a mouth full of cotton, uncertain where he even was. He was sprawled out on a sofa, but he couldn’t place it. The fabirc was too fine to be Yori’s sofa. He’d felt the tough weave on his knees enough times over the last sixteen years to recognize it by touch. 

On the other hand, the fabric wasn’t nice enough to be his own sofa, or Rina’s sofa if he was honest with himself. She always insisted on having the best of the best so she’d never appear inadequate when she threw her charity events and dinner parties.

He opened his eyes, wincing at the sunlight, and found himself in a strange living room, but there were photos of Rina and himself as young adults. He frowned and stumbled to his feet. He shuffled into the kitchen, looking around the house as he moved, bits of memory trickling back into his brain like molasses.

This house...was his. Theirs? His. He opened the kitchen cupboards, looking for a can of coffee grounds, but came up empty-handed. He glowered at his coffee maker for betraying him. He shuffled to the bathroom to look for aspirin, but the medicine cabinet was empty, too. He poured himself a glass of water to try to ease his hangover a little.

The rest of his memories came storming back as he drank. Losing Yori, driving Ryo away, his divorce. He sighed and trudged back to the living room to change, shooting a longing glance at his liquor cabinet. He wrenched his gaze away from the bottles of alcohol to dig through his luggage. He had errands he needed to run, work he needed to catch up on, and he couldn’t afford to be drunk or hungover.


	3. Chapter 3 - Hideki

Hideki’s phone dinged as he set a bowl of dry cereal in front of Akio. He patted Akio’s head with a sigh, forcing a smile for his son. This time of morning, it had to be a message from his boss, which probably meant he’d be getting home late.

Akio looked up at his mother, his little brows furrowed. “Mama okay?”

Hideki gave him a much more convincing smile the second time around. “Mama’s fine. Don’t worry, Aki-chan. Just eat your food like a good boy so you can go to Kenji’s.”

“Kenyi!” Akio shoved his hand into the bowl, spilling cheerios all over the table. Hideki sat down with his yogurt cup to eat something as well. He pulled out his phone to see what his boss had to say while scooping peach yogurt into his mouth

> _Adding the Fukui house to your schedule. Go out there today. There’s a spare key in the front garden_

Hideki sighed and set his phone down on the table. His boss could wait a few minutes until Akio was in the nursery. Between work and sleep, he only got a few hours a day with his son as it was. “Do you want some yogurt today, Aki-chan?”

Akio looked up at Hideki, his cheeks stuffed full of cereal as he nodded. “Mm!”

Hideki laughed and scooped up a spoonful. “Swallow your cereal and you can have some.”

Akio nodded, frowning as he struggled to chew and swallow his food, opening his mouth as soon as he had room. Hideki shook his head and chuckled when Akio left chunks of slobbery cheerios on the spoon. “Not what I said, but I guess you can finish this.”

Hideki pushed the rest of the yogurt in front of Akio, watching him dig in with great enthusiasm, managing to get yogurt smeared all around his mouth and hands.

Hideki stood up, leaving Akio to it, going to double-check their bags for the day. Lunch for himself, assuming he had time. Diapers, snacks, books, and toys for Akio, all packed on top of a spare outfit. Akio hadn’t needed the extra clothes for a couple months, but the day he didn’t pack them would be the day Akio had an accident and needed them.

Hideki set the bags by the table and turned to grab a washcloth, wetting it at the kitchen sink. “Are you almost done, Aki-chan?”

Akio nodded and smiled up at his mother with yogurt smeared across his cheeks, almost all the way back to his ears. “Done!” he chirped, holding out his hand, well aware of what came next.

“Aki-chan is such a good boy,” Hideki said, wiping Akio’s hands clean. He stepped away to rinse the cloth and came back to wipe Akio’s face clean, tossing the washcloth back toward the sink. “Go get your shoes on and we’ll go to Kenji.”

Akio nodded and slipped off the chair, hurrying to the front door. Hideki snagged his phone, picked up the bags, and padded over to slip his feet into his cheap slip-ons. The cushioned insoles he used cost more than the flimsy canvas shoes and would probably last longer as well. Akio stood up, the Velcro on his sneakers crooked and barely staying shut.

“Done!” Akio smiled at Hideki, reaching for his hand. “Aki good boy!”

“That’s right, Aki-chan. You’re my good boy. Now let’s go see Kenji.” Hideki grabbed his keys, ushered Akio outside and followed a couple steps behind, locking the door behind him.

* * *

Hideki finally pulled up outside Fukui’s house at eleven, his last house before his lunch break. He was surprised to see a car sitting in the driveway, expensive but not flashy.

If the owner was here, Hideki wondered why he had mentioned the spare key. Maybe for the future, when he wasn’t going to be in. Or maybe he was like the Hunt family, who thought that the staff should never be seen _or_ heard. 

The elder Hunts avoided interacting with the staff whenever possible and their teenage son seemed to be the same, up until Hideki had run out of sick days. Until he had to go to work while in heat. Then, suddenly, Sebastian noticed him and trailed around behind him.

Even though he had smelled like a beta, Sebastian followed Hideki around the house until they were alone. Then he cornered Hideki in an empty bedroom and taken advantage of him. Hideki managed to get away after it was done, but it had still cost him that job. He hadn’t been fired right away, though, only when Sebastian’s parents found out he was pregnant.

Hideki climbed out of the car and grabbed his cleaning supplies before going to search for the key. He found it under the most obviously fake rock he’d ever seen in his six years working as a maid.

Hideki set the rock back down and let himself into the house, putting on a pair of house slippers before going further inside. For a moment, the only sound in the house came from his slippers slapping against the hardwood floor and the plastic bottles of cleaner knocking against each other. Then a loud snore echoed through the house and Hideki almost jumped out of his skin, a shiver running down his back as he froze in place.

Hideki grabbed his duster and extended the handle, brandishing it like a weapon as he tracked the snores to the living room. He found a middle-aged man sprawled out on the sofa, one arm cushioned behind his head, the other draped over his stomach, one leg propped on the arm as the other foot rested against the carpet. Hideki crept closer to get a better look at the man he hoped was Fukui.

As he got closer, Hideki realized that Fukui wasn’t as old as he originally seemed. He had a few wrinkles but, from his furrowed brow, they appeared to be stress lines instead of age lines. The stubble on his cheeks had a sprinkle of gray hair, but now that Hideki had a better look, he figured that Fukui was closer to forty, or even in his thirties, not middle-aged.

Also, now that he was up close, Hideki could smell the cloud of stale alcohol clinging to the man. Hideki lowered his makeshift weapon with a sigh and swiped the used tumbler off the end table to start cleaning around his client. If you were rich, you really could get away with anything. He set the glass in the sink with a soft _clink_ and glanced around the kitchen.

It didn’t look much different from a week ago. The trash was full of takeout containers and there was a large canister of coffee grounds on the counter, but the cupboards were still bare and the sink looked almost untouched.

Hideki poured the coffee grounds into the fancy electronic coffee machine on the counter, started it up, and got on with his job. Fukui would probably appreciate the pick-me-up if he was as drunk as he smelled.

Hideki had just finished scrubbing the downstairs toilet when the sound of heavy footsteps dragging on the floor told him that Fukui had finally woken up. He stood up and tapped the toilet brush against the bowl to shake off the excess water. Hideki glanced up when the door opened, catching sight of Fukui with his wrinkled dress shirt most of the way off, his fly already hanging open to reveal his boxers. Hideki quickly looked away and bent to put the toilet brush in its stand. “I’m sorry, sir. I was just finishing up. I’ll get out of your way.”

Fukui frowned in confusion as Hideki picked up his cleaning supplies. When Hideki tried to duck past him to get out, Fukui managed to form a word. “...who?”

Hideki gave the man a quick bow, managing to squeeze into the hallway around Fukui’s surprisingly broad frame. “I’m Hideki Shimizu, sir. Your maid.”

Fukui frowned, his fingers drumming on the door for a few seconds. “Shimizu... Maid...” He looked over at Hideki again and Hideki swallowed to keep himself from making any undignified noises. Now that he was inches away from Fukui, he could smell the alpha pheromones under the alcohol as well. “Right. Cleaner. Of course. Uh, good work, Shimizu-san.”

Hideki bowed yet again, still not sure if Fukui was the sort of client who wanted his staff to talk. “Ah... I started some coffee earlier, sir. I...I thought you might want it.”

Fukui’s face softened and he gave Hideki a small smile. “I do. Thank you, Shimizu-san. If you’ll excuse me?”

Hideki’s face grew warm when he realized he was still standing less than a foot away from his half-naked client. “O-of course, sir! Forgive me!” Hideki turned to go clean another room, maybe the living room now that Fukui was up, but he swore he heard a chuckle behind him as he walked off.

Hideki checked the upstairs, but those rooms were still clean from last week, the bedding completely untouched. He finally bit the bullet and approached the living room again, cleaning it as best he could with a pile of dirty laundry in the armchair. The smell of coffee permeated the house as he worked. He found a few more tumblers that had rolled under the furniture and brought them to the kitchen to wash.

Fukui walked into the kitchen, looking slightly more awake as he made a beeline for the coffee maker, his clothes sticking to his still-damp skin and his dark hair slicked back, dripping water down his neck. Once he had a steaming mug in his hands, Fukui turned to Hideki, nodding gravely. “Sorry about before, Shimizu-san. I’m Koji Fukui. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Likewise, sir. I wasn’t expecting to see you today since you left a key for me.”

Fukui chuckled and sat at the table to nurse his coffee. “I just didn’t know when you were coming or if I’d be awake.” He took a long sip of his coffee and sighed, closing his eyes.

Hideki set the tumblers on a towel to dry and started wiping down the counters. “Not to be too forward, sir, but...have you eaten a proper meal in the last week?”

“I think you already know the answer to that, Shimizu-san.”

“I think I do, too, sir.”

“It’s impossible to hide anything from the staff, after all. If anything, the staff knows about family problems before the rest of the family does...”

Hideki dried off the counter and turned to face Fukui, resting his hip against the counter-top, crossing his arms over his apron. “Would it help if I brought some recipes with me next time?”

Fukui let out a short laugh and took another sip of his coffee. “Honestly? Probably not. I’ve never done any cooking before. That was always someone else’s job.”

“Pardon my frankness, sir, but if you’re going to be here for any length of time, perhaps you should invest in a rice cooker.” Hideki stood up straight and approached the table, but caught himself before he actually sat down with his client, as if he was part of the family. “They’re simple to operate and rice can be the basis for any number of meals.”

“I’ll think about it. Thank you, Shimizu-san.”

Hideki gathered his things and glanced at Fukui once more, paused in the kitchen entryway. “Ah, sir... If you’d like to buy some laundry soap before next week, I could add laundry to my task list.”

Fukui turned in his chair to give Hideki a small, sad smile. “I’ll keep that in mind. Are you done for today?”

“I’m done with your house, sir. I have other appointments.

Fukui stood up, leaving his mug behind on the table. “I’ll walk you out, then. Thank you for your help today.”

Hideki gathered up the rest of his supplies and went to the entryway to put his shoes back on. “Just doing my job, sir. I’ll see you next week.”

Fukui stepped up to Hideki and held out his hand. “Here, take this. For putting up with me.”

Hideki glanced quickly at Fukui’s hand, relaxing slightly when he saw the corner of a bill peeking out. He bowed and held out his hands to Fukui. “It was no problem, sir. You treat me better than the Hunts, at least.”

Fukui snorted as he placed the 5000 yen bill in Hideki’s hand. “I’m not surprised. I hear they do things different in their home country.” Fukui looked Hideki over from head to toe, his nostrils flaring slightly. “And if you ever get asked to clean for the Mizushima family, refuse. Mizushima’s wife is a jealous bitch and there’s rumors she abuses omega staff.”

Hideki flushed under such close scrutiny, bowing again as he tucked his tip into his pocket. “I’ll remember that, sir. Thank you for the advice.” Hideki quickly gathered his supplies and hurried out the door, only stopping to hide the key again before retreating to his car.


	4. Chapter 4 - Koji

Koji stood in his entryway, watching as Shimizu hurried out of the house, watching Shimizu put his key back in the garden, watching Shimizu climb into his clunker and drive off. Once Shimizu was totally gone, and had been for several seconds, Koji finally tore himself away from the door and went back to the kitchen.

He topped off his coffee to warm it up and carried it to the living room to check his mail. He answered a few messages from the president of his company, Fukui Inc, then found himself clicking over to the information from the private investigator he’d hired, sipping his coffee as his headache gradually disappeared.

Obviously Ryo still had the same phone number, but when Koji checked his phone bills, he saw that Ryo was no longer on his plan. In spite of what the report said, Koji wanted to go to Ryo’s old student apartment to see if he was still living there. The report in front of him said that Ryo had moved out within a month of their fight, supposedly to live with the delinquent alpha that got him knocked up in the first place. He didn’t want to show his hand too soon by showing up where they lived.

Koji kept scrolling through the old report even though he had most of it memorized. At least Ryo was still attending his private academy, though Koji hadn’t renewed the tuition payment for next year, so that would probably change soon. But if Ryo wanted to play at being a housewife instead of achieving something, well, he didn’t need a first-class education to sit at home and pop out babies.

Koji scrolled until he spotted the photo of a small florist’s shop. He wasn’t supposed to know where Ryo was living, but Ryo was still working the same job as before. Maybe he could find a reason to be in the area so he could purchase a few flowers. Shimizu wanted him to get some detergent and a rice pot anyway.

Koji finally closed the report and pulled up a map, looking for other stores near the flower shop. Electronics store or maybe a small appliance shop for the rice cooker, a grocery store for some rice and detergent. Those kinds of shops were usually within walking distance no matter where you lived, so there should be no problem finding an excuse to be near the florist. Finding an excuse to go to a different neighborhood would be harder, but if no one asked, he didn’t need to come up with a reason.

He drained the rest of his coffee and glanced at his pile of dirty laundry, pulling a clean outfit from his luggage. Even though Shimizu offered to do his laundry, he was on track to run out of clothes before Shimizu came back. _Maybe I should try to do laundry myself._ Even as the thought flitted through his head, Koji snorted in laughter. _Guess I should keep my eyes open for a clothing store as well._

* * *

Koji parked his car a few blocks away from the florist, his back seat already full of bags from the grocery store, packed around his new rice cooker like chicks around a mother hen. He climbed out of the car, making sure to lock it as he walked down the street, looking up at the florist’s hand-painted sign. Forest of Flowers.

Koji opened the door and stepped inside, the small silver bell tinkling over his head. He glanced at the containers of fresh-cut flowers around him as he approached the counter. “Just a moment, sir! Someone will be right out!” said a woman from somewhere in the back room.

Koji stepped up to the counter, reaching out to run his fingers along an orchid’s petals. “No rush,” he said, but glanced up when he saw movement. Ryo came out of the back room with his apron stretched across his pregnant belly and his long, dark hair in a thick braid. It had only been a few months since Koji had seen his son, but Ryo looked as if he’d been blown up like a balloon.

Ryo smiled gently as he approached the counter, looking down at his belly. “Can I help y—” Ryo finally looked up and his face froze in a look of terror, both hands coming up to clutch his stomach, as if he still thought Koji wanted to rip the child from his body. Never mind that Koji had been the one standing up to his wife so that Ryo could _keep_ the baby.

“Fukui-kun? Is everything okay?” asked the woman in back, Ryo’s boss if Koji remembered correctly.

Ryo snapped out of his paralysis, breathing hard as he clutched his green apron with both hands. “F-fine...!” Ryo finally looked up and met Koji’s eyes properly. “Y-you can’t take my baby...!”

Koji sighed and reached up to rub the bridge of his nose, his barely-tamed headache blooming behind his eyes once more. “I’m not here to—”

“And I’m not going with you again!”

“Ryo, will you just—”

“I hate you! You just do whatever mom wants! Stay away from us!”

Koji sighed and blinked at Ryo for a moment. “Are you done with your _tantrum_? I’m not here to hurt you, Ryo. I just wanted to—”

“Get out! I never want to see you again!”

Koji spotted Ryo’s boss poking her head into the shop, with a look on her face like she was ready to kill him. He just threw his hands in the air and turned to leave. “Fine! If you want to be a stubborn little brat about this, I won’t try to help anymore!”

Koji threw open the shop’s door and stalked back to his car, fuming the entire way. _I try to open up and help him and this is how he acts, the ungrateful child_!

It was only once Koji climbed into his car that he started to calm down. He knew he shouldn’t be driving while he was still steaming mad. But once his rage died down, Koji was just left feeling empty. Cold. Alone.

Koji started up his car, trying to remember if he still had any of his favorites in his liquor cabinet. _I guess I should stop by a liquor store on my way back and stock up_...


	5. Chapter 5 - Hideki

Hideki let himself into Fukui’s house the next week and immediately checked the living room to find his client passed out on the sofa again, dressed in a pair of track pants and a loose t-shirt instead of a dress shirt and slacks.

Hideki turned to head for the kitchen. He should start the coffee before he started cleaning. His presence would probably wake Fukui again and he wanted to be read. He started the coffee machine and took a look around the kitchen to see what needed cleaning this time.

He blinked when he spotted a few dirty bowls in the sink, along with a tumbler with some liquor stuck to the bottom. It looked like Fukui had taken at least some of his advice to heart and started making some of his own meals. A quick search turned up a massive bag of rice in one of the lower cabinets.

There wasn’t much else in the house, but within a matter of minutes Hideki had a pot of rice cooking in the counter-top rice maker, waiting for Fukui to wake up. At least plain rice should be light enough to eat with a hangover.

Hideki had just finished the downstairs bathroom when he heard Fukui moving around. He stepped out of the bathroom with a bottle of tile cleaner in one hand and a scrub brush in the other, bowing when he saw Fukui. “There is coffee in the kitchen, sir, but breakfast isn’t quite done yet.”

Fukui turned to look at Hideki with an unfocused gaze, scratching his head. “Yeah. Thanks. Be right there.” He shuffled into the bathroom and Hideki went into the living room to re-fold Fukui’s blanket.

Hideki glanced at the armchair to see how big the laundry pile had gotten, since Fukui was reduced to dressing so informally, but he was surprised to find no trace of the clothes. Had Fukui actually done his own laundry? Then why was he wearing track pants? Maybe the clothes were at the cleaner’s instead.

Hideki dusted the living room and scooped up the empty tumbler from last night, carrying it to the kitchen. He washed what few dishes there were and poured out a mug of black coffee when the bathroom door opened.

Hideki met Fukui at the kitchen door with a bow and a fresh mug of coffee. “Your coffee, sir.”

Fukui took the mug and gave Hideki a smile and a small nod. “Thank you, Shimizu-san. You don’t need to be so formal, though.”

Hideki bowed to his client again. “Understood, Fukui-sama.”

Fukui sighed and sat down at the table, blowing on his coffee to cool it down. “That wasn’t what I meant, Shimizu-san. You can just call me by my name if you want.”

Hideki turned when he heard the rice cooker beep. “I don’t know your name, sir.” He grabbed a freshly washed bowl and scooped a heaping mound of rice into it, sprinkling a bit of seasoning over the top.

Fukui’s stomach rumbled when Hideki set the bowl in front of him. “Koji.”

“I’m sorry, sir?”

“My name is Koji, Shimizu-san. Feel free to call me that.” Fukui smiled at Hideki and tipped his chair back, reaching for the silverware drawer.

Hideki nudged Fukui’s hand out of the way and pushed the chair upright with a _thump_. “Honestly, sir. Are you a teenager? Either stand up to get it or _ask_...” He tugged the drawer open. “Do you want a fork or a pair of chopsticks?”

“Chopsticks, please.” Hideki pulled out a matched pair and a small ceramic rest, setting them by Fukui’s bowl. “Thank you for the food, Shimizu-san.”

Hideki turned away as his cheeks heated up. “Well, you had the rice... I thought you might like some food you didn’t have to cook yourself.”

“It’s certainly nice. After a whole week of my own cooking, I’m really starting to miss having a cook.” The chopsticks _clinked_ against the rest when Fukui picked them up finally.

Hideki swept the floor as Fukui ate in silence for a moment, only looking over when Fukui cleared his throat. “Yes, sir?”

“Not to force more work on you, Shimizu-san, but you know how you mentioned doing laundry...?” Fukui turned in his chair to face Hideki, draping one arm over the back of his chair.

“Yes, sir, I remember. Are you saying you’d like me to do a load of laundry?” Hideki set his long-handled dustpan on the floor, bracing it against his foot as he swept the dust and dropped food into it.

“If you wouldn’t mind... I bought some soap. I can show you where the machines are, too. It took me a while to find them.” Fukui started to stand up, but Hideki put a hand on his shoulder, urging him back down.

“That’s alright, sir. I know where they are. Did you already put your clothes in with them?”

“Yeah. And the detergent.” Fukui kept an eye on Hideki, sipping his coffee. “How do you already know?”

“I cleaned your house before you arrived, sir. I wanted to familiarize myself in case you extended your contract.” HIdeki stepped away from Fukui to pick up the dustpan, dumping it into the garbage.

“Impressive. But I suppose that’s your job, hm? I wouldn’t expect you to know things like the foreign performance of local brands...” Fukui turned back to his rice, pausing before he stuffed his mouth full. “No offense, Shimizu-san. I’m just saying that we both need to know different things for our jobs.”

“I understand, sir.” Hideki gave Fukui a smile, though it felt a little fake, even to him. “I’m not offended that you think I’m good at my job.” Hideki bowed to Fukui and propped his broom and dustpan against the wall. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be right back.”

Fukui grunted with his mouth full, but Hideki was already out of the kitchen and heading for the small laundry room. He found a basket next to the washer, piled high with Fukui’s shirts, slacks, and shorts. Hideki felt his face go red, but he bent to start sorting the dirty clothes. It was all the same things he himself wore, so there was no reason to be embarrassed. Except maybe that these ones smelled so strongly of alpha.

Hideki had just finished sorting the laundry by color when his phone rang, playing a particular tune he’d given Kenji. He pulled out his phone and flipped it open, holding it between his ear and shoulder as he loaded the washer. “What’s wrong, Kenji-kun?”

“Aki-chan is sick.” Kenji’s voice filtered through the cheap speaker, coming out tinny with a faint staticky crackle. “He just threw up and he’s running a fever. I sent him over to Sensei, but I thought you should know. If you wanted to come get him.”

Hideki looked at the laundry in his hands for a moment, then resumed filling the washer. “I’m just in the middle of something, but I’ll finish up and come back home.”

“Sorry to pull you away from your work, but you know better than anyone what he’s like when he gets sick.”

“I know, Kenji-kun. It’s fine. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” Hideki heard Kenji draw a breath, as if he was going to speak, but he said nothing. “You should get back to work, Kenji-kun. You have other kids that need you.”

“Right. Yeah.” Kenji sighed, the noise making the speaker crackle. “I’ll see you later. I hope Aki-chan feels better...”

“Goodbye, Kenji-kun.” Hideki dropped his phone into his hand, ending one call before immediately dialing another number. He poured the laundry soap into the water and shut the lid while his boss’ phone rang. After five rings, it finally switched over to voicemail. The bastard was probably taking an early lunch, unlike most of his workers.

“It’s Shimizu, sir. I’ve just had a family emergency come up and I need to stop early. I will attempt to contact everyone when I have time. I should be back within a day or two. I’ll let you know when I know more.” Hideki snapped his phone shut and walked back to the kitchen, pulling off his work apron.

Fukui looked up from his empty bowl, mug in hand once more. “Are you done already, Shimizu-san?”

“Yes, sir,” Hideki said, grabbing his bottle of kitchen cleaner, broom, and dustpan. “I’m sorry to leave in the middle of a job like this, sir, but I have a family emergency to deal with.” Hideki stood up straight, turning to look Fukui in the eye, expecting a fight and determined to win. He would never put a mere job ahead of Akio’s well being.

Instead, Fukui’s face softened and he gave Hideki a look of real concern. “No, no. I understand. Please, take all the time you need.” A few seconds passed before Fukui spoke up again. “Do you mind if I ask what happened?”

Hideki crouched down to pack his supplies away properly. He was in a hurry, but not so rushed for time that he needed to leave a mess for himself. “My son is sick. I have to pick him up from the nursery.”

Hideki looked up when he heard gentle footsteps from behind. Fukui stood only about thirty centimeters behind Hideki, cupping his coffee with both hands. “Perfectly understandable, Shimizu-san. I hope he feels better soon, with his parents helping him.”

Hideki turned back to face the door, sitting down to switch back to his sneakers. “...it’s just me, sir. His father is...not in the picture. He never was.”

“Oh... I’m sure you more than make up for it, Shimizu-san. From what little I’ve seen anyway.”

Hideki stood up and grabbed his supplies. “Thank you, sir. I try my best.” Hideki turned to give Fukui a quick bow before hurrying out to his car.

* * *

Hideki hurried across the first floor of his building, knocking on Sensei’s work door. Sensei was an older omega, one who had been a proper doctor in a previous life. Only Kenichi, Kenji’s omega parents, truly knew what happened, but there were rumors that Sensei had once had a proper name and a family. Most of the rumors said that he had crossed the Yakuza, got his family killed, and was living under an assumed identity.

Sensei opened the door with his perpetual sour look, but raised an eyebrow when he spotted Hideki “He’s just in here, resting.” Sensei turned and walked away from the door with a brisk stride. 

Hideki hurried inside before the door could swing shut in his face. Sensei let him to an armchair where Akio lay curled on his side, his face red and sweat sticking his curls to his head. Hideki scooped Akio into his arms, cuddling him close and kissing his head. Sensei turned and reached into a sliding plastic drawer.

Akio cracked his eyes open, giving Hideki a confused look. “...mama?”

“Mama’s here, baby. You’re going to be okay.” Hideki barely caught the can Sensei dropped in his arms.

“He’s already vomited, had a bout of diarrhea, and he’s sweating from the fever. From what I can see, it’s just a minor infection. That’s an electrolyte drink mix to keep him hydrated. Make sure you give him some when you get home. And make sure he _keeps_ drinking it.”

“Yes, Sensei.” Hideki spotted Akio’s bag on the floor, next to the armchair, and tucked the drink mix inside.

Sensei strode back to the more clinical section of his office, coming back with a bottle and plastic syringe. “Here are some antibiotics to help him fight this off. The dose is on the bottle, but you’ll want to keep him in diapers. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you what this stuff does to your digestive system.”

Hideki bowed, holding Akio against his chest with both hands. “I will, Sensei. I’ve already called work to let them know.” Hideki straightened up and took the medicine from Sensei, sitting it into the bag alongside the drink mix. “Is there anything else?”

Sensei gave his head a sharp shake. “Just keep an eye on him and bring him back if he gets worse.”

“Of course, Sensei. Thank you for all your hard work.” Hideki slung Akio’s bag over his shoulder and bowed briefly before leaving to carry Akio back home. He still had to get Akio comfortable before he could even _think_ about calling his clients to reschedule.

* * *

Hideki had finally finished called his clients after getting Akio down for a nap and he pulled out his rice pot to start dinner when his phone rang. A work number by the ringtone. He sighed and set the rice pot into the sink before answering his phone. “Shimizu speaking.”

“Shimizu, what the hell do you think you’re doing, canceling all your appointments!” His boss’ ever-pleasant voice came roaring out of the phone’s speaker.

Hideki ran some cold water over his rice, washing it with one hand as he dealt with his boss. “Like I said earlier, sir. I had an urgent family matter to tend to. I’m going to be out of work for a few days, but I’ll be more than happy to reschedule my missed appointments.”

“You can’t just take off like this when you have time off next week!”

Hideki sighed, flicking water off his fingers before transferring the phone to his other ear. “I am a single father, sir, so if my son is sick, I _will_ take time off to care for him. Once he’s no longer sick, I’m willing to work some unusual hours to catch up, but I am _not_ coming into work while he is spewing from _both ends_!”

The line went dead for a moment and Hideki took a deep breath to calm himself. “If that’s all, _sir_ , I will be keeping an eye out for my revised schedule. Thank you for all your hard work.” Hideki snapped his phone shut and tossed it on the table before turning back to dinner.


	6. Chapter 6 - Koji

Koji woke up with a stiff neck and a dry mouth, but with the smell of coffee and roasted meat filling his nostrils. He peeled himself off the sofa and climbed to his feet. He really needed to start sleeping in his bed one of these days. Passing out drunk in the living room probably wasn’t doing his back any favors.

He stumbled out of his living room, mouth watering as he made his way into the bathroom, stuffing a hand down his shorts to scratch at his pubes. He caught a whiff of something that smelled even better than the bacon coming from the kitchen as he passed it.

After he’d emptied his bladder, washed his hands, and pulled on a loose pair of pants, Koji shambled into the kitchen. He didn’t see Shimizu in the kitchen, but he could still smell the man’s scent, so he couldn’t have been gone long. Koji poured himself some coffee, stirring in a couple spoonfuls of sugar before taking a sip.

Coffee in hand, Koji wandered around the small kitchen, trying to find the source of the food smells. There were dirty pans in the sink, but no plates laid out on the table. The rice cooker was in the middle of a cook cycle so that probably explained the lack of food on the table, but where did the meat go?

Koji shrugged and dropped into his seat at the table, sipping his coffee as he waited for the pounding in his head to subside. Today, though, the pounding feeling didn’t disappear as he woke up, it merely shifted to other parts of his body. He could feel his pulse thrumming through his entire body by the time Shimizu walked back into the kitchen.

Koji glanced over at Shimizu and his whole body _throbbed_. He didn’t remember Shimizu looking so _good_ in the last few weeks. His hips seemed plumper, his skin glowed, and a few escaped strands of hair draped artfully across his face.

Koji stood up and took a step toward Shimizu, reaching out to brush away those loose hairs. Then he saw the panicked look on Shimizu’s face and realized the other man had backed up against a wall. _What the hell am I doing?_ Koji pulled his hand back and forced himself to sit back down, even though Shimizu was giving off a tantalizing scent. _Control yourself, idiot. You’re the CEO of a multinational corporation, not a horny teenager_.

It took a few seconds before Shimizu finally stepped away from the wall and hurried over to check on the rice. When he saw it was still cooking, he busied himself with cleaning the counters. “I’m sorry for waking you so early, sir. I just wanted to finish up from last time before...”

Koji took a deep breath to calm himself and almost immediately regretted it when he caught a lungful of Shimizu’s scent. “Is something wrong, Shimizu-san?” Though he already had a good idea of what was wrong. The man was obviously either in heat already, or just on the cusp of his heat.

“There’s nothing wrong, sir. I just need a few personal days to deal with something.” Shimizu ran out of counter to scrub and switched to sweeping the floor. “But you never rescheduled from last week, so I wanted to make sure I finished before my break.”

Koji looked back over his shoulder when the rice pot beeped, catching a glimpse of Shimizu, his apron pulled snug across his chest, highlighting two small breasts, probably left over from when his son was nursing. Koji felt a momentary flash of jealousy toward Shimizu’s son and forced himself to look away again. _You’re not that kind of employer. You don’t fuck the help. Except Yori, but that was different._

Shimizu set a plate down in front of Koji and backed away quickly. Koji turned to give the man a gentle smile. “I’m sorry I’ve made you nervous, Shimizu-san. Thank you for the food.” Koji finally looked at the plate and spotted a folded omelet laid over a pile of fluffy rice, crispy strips of bacon and some roast vegetables crowded together on the remainder of the plate. He scooped up the plate with one hand and his coffee mug with the other. “I’ll just take this to my office and let you work.”

Shimizu sagged against the wall, limp with relief. “I’m sorry, sir. But...thank you.”

Koji stopped in the doorway and looked back. “I don’t know who hurt you, Shimizu-san, but I’m not that sort of man _or_ alpha.” Koji turned and walked away. _Or at least I try not to be_. He walked into his office and shut the door behind him, sitting down to eat and maybe get some work done...or maybe just sit there and jack off to thoughts of Shimizu once he was gone.


End file.
